Our Money has Gone to the Dogs...and Cats, and Cranes

Recently, Congress passed what it calls "critical" funding measures to protect our "great cats" and "rare canids" and to "conserve our cranes." Pressing legislation, right? Let me fill you in on what Congress is doing with your tax dollars.

H.R. 1464 - the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2007, brought to us by Rep. Udall (D-NM), would establish a new grant program to provide money to individuals or groups that work to conserve rare cat and canine species in foreign countries. In order to fund the grant program, H.R. 1464 would establish the "Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund" within the Multinational Species Conservation Fund and authorize $25 million through FY 2013.

$25 million to fund rare cat and dog conservation in foreign countries? Animal preservation programs overseas should be funded by private philanthropic organizations and not taxpayers – or at the very least, the foreign countries in which they’re being conserved. What’s worse: H.R. 1464 would increase direct spending without any offset. If this program is so important, the Democrats should have cut spending elsewhere to pay for it. Instead, the cost will be borne by taxpayers in the form of higher taxes or by our children in the form of a growing government budget.

H.R. 1771 - Crane Conservation Act of 2007, brought to us by Rep. Baldwin (D-WI), would establish a new grant program to provide money to individuals or groups that work to conserve crane species in Africa, Asia, Europe, or North America. In order to fund the grant program, H.R. 1771 would establish the “Crane Conservation Fund” within the Multinational Species Conservation Fund and authorize $25 million through FY 2013.

Sound familiar? Once again the problem is that we're authorizing $25 million over five years to fund crane conservation on four continents. Again, we’re increasing spending without any offset.